Wedding at Bud and Alley’s, Seaside with DJ Dan Davis

Brenna and Alexis’ (his name is French, pronounced Alex-see) wedding at Bud and Alley’s, Seaside, FL was an absolute blast and couldn’t have happened on a more perfect Spring day! With both families coming from Alabama and France, there was an awesome mix of cultural heritage and style.

One of the most memorable moments was when one of Brenna’s friends, Mary-Claire, gave a special acapella vocal performance. She is a trained opera singer which was a wonderful touch to the already elegant evening. After the sun went down, the party turned up, and the crowd danced until the witching hour!

Reception Formality Music

Grand Entrance (Wedding Party): “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars

Grand Entrance (Bride/Groom): “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson

First Dance: “You Are The Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne

Father/Daughter Dance: “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack

Mother/Son Dance: “What A Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong

Cake Cut: “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz

Bouquet Toss: “Somebody To Love” by Queen

Last Dance: “Don’t Stop Believin” by Journey

Depending on how my creative planning appointment goes with my clients, I may suggest a somewhat unique ending to the night instead of just playing a last dance song. Brenna and Alexis loved it when I pitched them the idea. Here’s how it went down: I put the bride and groom at the center of the dance floor and had the wedding party, family and friends form a circle around them. I always look to include guests that have not been on the floor all night, assuring them I’m not going to make them do anything embarrassing or cheesy. I told everyone to look to their left, then look to their right, and explained that today there are two families becoming one (which is why we were in one circle with the bride and groom in the center). I asked everybody to link hands, arms, shoulders, whatever. I then asked them two questions: If you could say anything to the bride and groom right now, would you tell them that you love them? (Yes!) Would you tell them you are excited for them to take the first steps of the rest of their lives together? (Yes!) By that time, I had already maneuvered myself back behind the decks and said, “Well, if those answers are true, I am willing to bet that there is one other thing you’d like to tell them,” and I immediately hit play on “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. The crowd always goes nuts when that happens (and this crowd was no exception). I asked them to sing along. When the end of the song came up, right before “Don’t stop believing / hold on to that feeling,” I prompted everyone that I wanted a big finale, that I wanted everyone to hear them back home where they came from singing, then prompted a cheer for the bride and groom at the end. For this crowd, it was a perfect way to end the night.